San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick runs past Green Bay Packers defensive end Mike Neal (96) for a touchdown during the first quarter of the Jan. 12 NFC divisional playoff game at Candlestick Park. / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Written by

Press-Gazette Media

Clay Matthews offered a preview of what many NFL defenses are planning this season for read-option quarterbacks such as the San Francisco 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick.

During an appearance Monday on the “Mike and Mike” show on ESPN radio, the Green Bay Packers outside linebacker said that officials visiting training camp confirmed that a quarterback will not be protected by the NFL’s defenseless-player rules when he’s carrying out fakes in the read option.

So Kaepernick, along with Carolina’s Cam Newton, Seattle’s Russell Wilson and Washington’s Robert Griffin III can expect to take plenty of hits even if they hand off or pitch the ball in the read option.

“You do have to take your shots on the quarterback,” Matthews said as quoted by NFL.com, “and obviously they’re too important to their offense. If that means (coaches) pull them out of that type of offense and make them run a traditional, drop-back, pocket-style offense, I think that’s exactly what we’re going for. So you want to put hits as early and often on the quarterback and make them uncomfortable.”

The Packers spent a good share of their offseason preparing for Kaepernick and Sunday’s regular-season opener at San Francisco after he obliterated their defense with 181 yards rushing in the 49ers’ 45-31 playoff win last season.

Kaepernick didn’t do all his damage in the read option, but he and his running backs did more than enough to leave the Packers in defensive disarray in the second half against the scheme that changed the NFL last season. In March, coordinator Dom Capers and his assistants took their day trip to visit the coaching staff at Texas A&M, which runs the read option and could offer tips on what does and doesn’t cause problems for its offense. They spent the rest of the spring implementing their plans.

The Packers open the season with Kaepernick this week, then play Griffin in Week 2. After that there are no read-option quarterbacks on the schedule, but the road to the NFC’s Super Bowl could mean games against one or several amongst Kaepernick, Wilson, Griffin and Newton.

(Page 2 of 3)

“I can tell you right now, we started from Day 1 in OTAs when we came back in the offseason working on this read-option, pistol, fake offense for lack of a better term,” Matthews said.

Going into the opener, though, the Packers have to be wondering how much read option 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh will call Sunday.

Last year, Harbaugh worked the read option relatively modestly into his game plans after Kaepernick became his starter in the 10th game. But then for the playoffs it became a staple.

Now, though, Harbaugh knows the Packers and his other opponents, especially teams in his NFC West Division, have spent the offseason working to defend the read option. So he’s already gained an advantage in the time teams have spent in the offseason and then in practice the week of the game working against the scheme, at the expense of working on something else.

Harbaugh also has to keep in mind Kaepernick’s long-term health. Kaepernick, like the other read-option quarterbacks already mentioned, has NFL arm talent regardless of his running ability, and his health is paramount to the 49ers’ Super Bowl hopes. Kaepernick also can beat teams with his legs on scrambles, where he’s at least protected by the slide rule. So Harbaugh might be inclined to use the read option only as a change-of-pace against the Packers, if even that, and only enough during the rest of the season to force teams to prepare for it.

“If I had to guess, I think you’ll probably see it 10 or 11 times a game,” said a scout from a team in the NFC West. “You’ll see it maybe more than that, but the quarterback is going to keep it only four or five times, tops. You’re just not going to expose the quarterback, in my opinion. We’ll wait and see. I think the league will catch up with that option. You’re going to expose your quarterback too much to injury (running it often). (But) it’s not going to go away immediately by any stretch.”

A defensive coach from a team that will face several read-option games this season said that most defenses probably will do as Matthews suggested and hit the quarterback on almost every read-option play. He said that if the hit comes a couple seconds after the hand-off or pitch, officials probably will call a penalty, but anything sooner will be allowed.

(Page 3 of 3)

In the read option, offenses generally don’t block the defensive end on the side where they’re running the play. So the quarterback reads him. If the end goes after the halfback, the quarterback pulls the ball out of the halfback’s stomach and runs to the space the end vacated. If the end waits for the quarterback to decide, the quarterback hands off.

“(The offense) is banking on the defensive end standing there,” the coach said. “That’s the way it’s taught in college. The defensive end plays it both ways: squeeze the edge and be able to come off and press the quarterback. You have to play it both ways.

“The thing is, you tell the end, ‘If they don’t block you, then go wreck the quarterback.’ I don’t care if you gain seven or eight yards (on the hand-off), I’ll trade you that for a hit on your quarterback.”

Defenses can mix up their read-option calls to create uncertainty, but if they primarily go for the quarterback hit no matter what happens with the ball, offenses will counter. They can start blocking the end, or throw play-action passes. All four of the aforementioned quarterbacks are bona fide NFL passers.

Kaepernick, for instance, has a strong throwing arm even by NFL standards, and a quick, compact motion. But he’s a third-year pro and with only 10 NFL starts (playoffs included) is relatively unsophisticated at reading defenses.

Last year, Harbaugh had him playing by the book, making basic reads and throwing only to open receivers. More experienced and accomplished passers such as Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees often make more difficult plays that rely on timing regardless of coverage, such as throwing their receivers open with back-shoulder throws.

Kaepernick now has had an offseason to work as Harbaugh’s starter, and the regular season will show his gains. But even after Kaepernick put up a 99.0 passer rating last year in the regular season and playoffs combined, the book on him going into the season is to make him win from the pocket.

“He has a really strong arm, he’s a nice complement in that offense,” the scout said. “They run the ball really well, and their offensive line is one of the best in the league, if not the best. He throws to the open guy. He’s not going to kill you with the comebacks and the back-shoulder stuff, that’s not his thing. But he can hurt you with his legs, you have to account for that.”